Save Me
by bowwow08
Summary: Modern Kataang story. I got the idea to link sports with the elements. Kataang, Sukka and others Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the last airbender Reviews are apreciated :
1. The Boy With the Surf Board

Katara-

It was one of those days at the beach where the sun was beating down and the water was a welcome escape from the rays. Katara was waiting on her surf board anticipating the next wave when a boy farther down the beach caught her eye. He was waiting for a wave too and one was coming fast. He started paddling faster and faster and stood up with ease as the huge wave carried him blazingly fast back to the shore. Katara could see he was an excellent surfer as he effortlessly glided on the wave, but he was also a little cocky and that is why he didn't see the huge rocks that were coming up fast.

Aang-

Aang felt awesome riding the huge wave. He was pulling some of his best tricks, and even though he wasn't as good at surfing as he was on his skateboard he was still getting major air, his favorite element. He closed his eyes as he rode the wave and willed his board to go as fast as he could, feeling the wind hit his face. But when he opened his eyes again he realized he had miscalculated his direction and was hurtling towards a huge patch of jagged rocks.

He used all of the strength he could muster to try to angle his board away from the rocks, but he was going to fast and no matter how good of a surfer he was there was no way he was going to avoid impact. He did manage to get to the very edge of the rocks though and clipped the edge and was sent flying skyward towards the show and belly-flopped right into the water. That is when he got one last glimpse of the sun and blacked out.

Katara-

Katara swam back to the shore as fast as she could make her arms move. She was getting pretty close when she saw the boy catch the board on the edge of the rocks and skyrocket into the sky. In the back of her mind she was kind of impressed how close he had come to missing the entire patch of rocks. It took a lot of skill to cover as much distance as he did in such a short amount of time, but she pushed that to the back of her mind because she realized the boy had not surfaced since he hit the water.

She got to the spot where she had seen him go in and dived into the water. She opened her eyes and ignored the sting she felt from the salt water knowing she was the only thing standing between this boy's life and a watery grave. She found him and grabbed him around the waist and swam to the surface not wasting anytime. She got to the shore in record time and started the process of reviving him.

Even in her panicked state she could not help but notice how attractive he was. He was muscles were well toned and his jet black hair was just the right length. He had on neon orange trunks, and even though he was scratched up from his fall his unhurt skin felt soft to the touch. She felt herself blushing knowing that she was going to have to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but quickly regained her senses knowing she had a job to do. She bent down and put her mouth to his and hoped that she was not too late.

Aang-

Aang suddenly regained consciousness and leaned over and began spitting out all the sea water that should not have been in his system. When he finally was done he rolled back over he looked up and saw her. She was beautiful. He thought she had to be a hallucination from him drinking too much seawater from his fall, maybe even his guardian angel. Her long brown hair tickled his chest as she leaned closer to see if he was ok. She was speaking to him, but he was still trying to regain his bearings so he couldn't understand what he was saying, but he desperately wanted to know what this blue eyed angel was saying to him. Maybe she was asking him to go into the light with him and for her he just might.

"Are you ok?" Katara said and finally Aang could comprehend her words.

"Yea… I just hurt all over… All I remember is flying into the air and hitting the water." Aang said hoarsely due to the large amount of salt water he swallowed.

"Yea I saw that. I came as fast as I could once I saw you were hurtling towards those rocks over there. What were you thinking?" Katara asked in a worried tone.

"Clearly I wasn't thinking" Aang chuckled. "The name is Aang by the way." And he flashed one of his signature sideways smiles that seemed to take Katara back for a minute.

"My name is Katara. Can you move?" She asked snapping out of her trance and getting back to the problem that was at hand.

Aang moved and even though he was badly bruised he still managed to stand up. Aang could see the shocked look on Katara's face, most other guys would have had to be taken away on a stretcher, but Aang was not most other guys.

"So I know I probably put you through a lot today so let me make it up to you. Let me take you to dinner tonight." Aang told Katara.

I think they were a little shocked at what Aang had just said. Aang wondered in the back of his mind what he was thinking asking this beautiful girl to go to dinner. He normally was not that bold with girls, but there was something about this particular girl that was different. He blushed and hoped he would not say anything else stupid, but he knew he couldn't guarantee himself that.

Katara recovered quickly however, "That sounds good to me. Where are you taking me?"

Aang smiled his sideways smile again and responded, "I know just the place."


	2. The Thank You Dinner

**Hey Kataang world! I am new to the whole writing fanfiction world, but I have been reading a lot of stories lately and this idea just popped into my head. I hope you enjoy and reviews are greatly appreciated! **

**I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender.**

Chapter 2

Aang-

He knew exactly where he was going to take her for dinner. He had talked to Katara a little bit more, but she had to go home and get cleaned up before she could meet up with Aang again. He looked at himself in the mirror with his shirt off and stared at all the scrapes and bruises he had acquired that day. He was going to have to do some major damage control before he saw Katara again, because he was not going anywhere looking like this.

_I wonder why she wasn't scared of me? I look like I got hit by a truck! I can't believe she didn't recognize who I am… It is nice that someone for once doesn't know me, and she is beautiful! I just hope that she likes where I am taking her._

Aang got to Katara's house a few minutes early and was amazed. The house was huge and the color blue it was painted reminded him of the color of Katara's eyes. He started walking up to the took a deep breath and thought of Katara, which didn't help his nerves any either. Then he knocked on the door.

The first thing Aang saw was a guy a few years older than him chowing down on a turkey leg with a short pony tail.

"You must be the guy that Katara saved today" the guy said nonchalantly.

"Yea that's m-." Was all Aang got out before the door was slammed in his face.

Katara-

"Sokka who was at the door?" Katara asked suspiciously.

"Some guy selling magazines. Don't worry I got rid of him so don't go near the door or the windows and just go back to whatever you were doing…" Sokka nervously sputtered.

"Sokka that was Aang wasn't it? He is just taking me to dinner as a thank you for today! You need to chill out!" Katara shouted.

"Katara you are too young to be going out on dates, and while dad is gone I am the man of the house and I have to watch out for you." Said Sokka.

"Sokka I am twenty and dated Haru and Jet, so I think I am old enough too… Wait a minute this isn't even an official date! I don't need to explain myself to you!"

Katara heard a knock at the door. She had almost forgotten Aang was still out there. When she opened the door she felt butterflies in her stomach. She got lost in his eyes for a moment until he spoke.

"Hey Katara are you ready?" he asked.

"Wha- yes I am. Sorry about my brother he can be a little over protective. Aang this is Sokka, Sokka this is Aang." She said trying to get Sokka to lighten up.

"If you do anything to my sister I will finish what those rocks tried to do to you earlier today!" snarled Sokka.

"Okay… Aang I think now would be a really good time to leave." Katara said as she pushed Aang out the door.

As she shut the door behind them she sighed and then looked at Aang, "Sorry about that. My dad is off doing work stuff and Sokka thinks that means he has to fill in. Although my dad would not react like that, so when you meet him you don't have to worry about that kind of reaction."

_Did I just say when you meet my dad? I am getting way over my head here. He is just a grateful guy who wants to take me out to dinner and that's it._

Aang didn't seem to notice though. As they walked over to his car and Katara started wondering where he was going to take her. When they got to his car though, she was impressed. It was the new white Camaro with a black racing stripe that had just come out. She hadn't realized she had been staring with her mouth hanging open until Aang spoke.

"You like my car? I just got it a few weeks ago. I named her Momo and she is my baby." Aang chuckled and looked at Katara "Are you ready for the most amazing dinner of your life?"

"I think I am. Where are you taking me?" she asked.

"Now if I told you it wouldn't be a surprise! You are just going to have to wait" said Aang with a mischievous grin on his face.

Aang-

Aang was taking her somewhere special that he thought she would appreciate. He smiled when he saw the confused expression on her face when they passed all the main restaurants in town. They had been talking a little bit, but at the moment everything was quiet. He looked at her through the corner of his eyes.

_I may be sore from earlier today but I think the spirits are shining down on me. There is no way I would have been able to ask this girl out on my own! Hopefully I do not screw this up… _

Aang found the path he was looking for and parked his car under some trees. Katara had a very confused look on her face, but this only made Aang's heart beat faster. He was taking a big risk, but he loved this place that he was taking her and hoped she would love it too. So, Aang got out of the car, popped the trunk and pulled out a picnic basket.

Katara-

Once she saw Aang pull out a picnic basket Katara felt her heart start to race even faster than it had been when she was in the car. She was starting to second guess her statement to Sokka that today was "just a thank you dinner". Aang waved her to follow him into the trees, and was a little nervous, but her curiosity got the best of her. She felt like she was in a dream. Just this morning she had been surfing without a care in the world, and now she was here following this boy she had just met to an unknown location. But she knew she was safe, and she wondered if her heart would permanently be beating this fast.

Then Aang motioned her to stop and came behind her and covered her eyes. Her whole body tingled at his touch, and he was so close that she could feel his heart beating just as fast as hers. She knew that he had to be feeling the same thing as her, and that made her even more excited. Then he stopped her and slowly started to count to three. When he removed his hand Katara opened her eyes and saw where they would be eating dinner.

And it was beautiful. She had heard water when they had been walking up but now she saw a huge waterfall before them surrounded by trees and wildflowers. Her mouth dropped wide open and out of the corner of her eye she saw Aang smile.

"I thought you would like it. I found this place a week ago and I have been coming here everyday since." explained Aang.

"Well you sure know how to tell a girl thank you! Aang this is gorgeous!" Katara spoke with a sense of wonder.

"The water feels amazing too!" Katara's stomach made a loud growling noise, "But we can definitely eat first!"

Aang started taking out all of the picnic stuff and put it all on a blanket. "I probably should have mentioned this earlier, but I am a vegetarian so this dinner will be completely meat free. I promise though I have been a vegetarian for a long time, so I don't think you will be disappointed with what I brought."

"I can't wait to try all of this stuff! It looks delicious, and I don't mind about there not being any meat. Now if my brother was here he would have a heart attack, because I don't think he can go a meal without having some type of meat on the menu." She said sarcastically.

"Tell me more about your family." Aang asked.

"Well I live with my brother Sokka, my dad Hakoda, and my grandmother who we just call Gran Gran. My mother died a long time ago…" Katara gazed off into the distance for a moment as she thought of her mother and instinctively brought her hand up to her neck where her mother's necklace was.

"Your necklace is beautiful. Where did you get it?" Aang asked and it brought Katara back from her painful memory.

"It was my mother's necklace. I have worn it ever since she passed…" Katara seemed to lose her train of thought. "Oh but back to my family. My father is usually gone most of the time because he is the CEO of water sports in the southern hemisphere, so he has a lot of organizing to do…"

Aang-

Aang lost his focus after Katara said who her father was.

_Her father is Hakoda I knew that name sounded familiar. He would be furious if he knew I was here. But he should understand that I need a break after what happened… I can't think about this now, I have to focus on what Katara is saying, she is what is important right now._

"And that is pretty much it for me. What about your family Aang?" Katara asked apparently not realizing that Aang had not been paying attention.

"I don't really have a family. I don't know who my parents are. I was skateboarding one day though, and that is when Gyatso found me…" At that moment a pained expression covered Aang's face, and Katara was about to speak when Aang beat her to it. "You know I think we have been sitting here long enough, and since our stomachs are full we can finally go enjoy the water!"

Aang could tell that Katara was confused, and she was not going to let this topic go. But for right now she conceded and Aang was grateful for that. He was not ready to talk about who he was yet or why he was here.

Aang took Katara's hand and led her to the water. He could see her blush and then realized he was blushing too. When they got close Aang let go of her hand and sprinted to the edge of the water and did a cannonball. Katara was close at his heels and almost jumped right into him. The water was warm which felt almost soothing against Aang's cuts and scrapes. When Aang looked at Katara he was surprised to find a mischievous look on her face. She came over to him innocently.

"Tag!" she yelled and dove deep into the water.

_Oh know she has started it. _

Aang dove deep into the water searching for Katara. He finally spotted her and was amazed to see how effortlessly she moved in the water. When he came back to reality he smiled and swam as fast as he could to try to catch her. He wasn't as fast as he normally was because of the accident, but after a while he caught up to her and tagged her back. He knew, however, that she had slowed down for his sake. They kept this up for about an hour, but then they stopped to catch their breath.

Katara-

"Man Katara you are an amazing swimmer! I promise when I heal up a bit it will be a lot more challenging!" Aang told her.

"I will hold you to that! This water feels amazing, and the scenery is beautiful! I wonder how high that waterfall is?" questioned Katara.

It was Aang's turn to have a mischievous grin. "Why don't we find out?"

Katara felt her heart beat faster and reached for Aang's outstretched hand. They climbed to the top of the waterfall which was in fact very high. Katara looked down and could have sworn if they were any higher they would be touching the clouds.

"Well I guess the answer to my question is pretty high" she laughed. "Ok Aang let's go back down now."

"Katara there is only one way we are getting down and it is not going to be the way we came." Aang said with a sparkle in his eye.

"Aang you can't be serious! You almost died today from hitting the water!" Katara said in a shocked tone.

"Katara do you trust me?" Aang said with an outstretched hand.

Without thinking or responding Katara took his hand. She didn't know what compelled her too, but she was lost in his eyes and realized she did trust this strange boy. Aang slowly counted to three never taking his eyes of her and then they both took a step off the edge and fell towards the water.

When they hit the water their hands were dragged apart, but they both surfaced quickly. They were both laughing hysterically and they felt a rush from what they had just done. Aang swam under the waterfall and Katara followed him.

"Aang that was amazing! I am so glad you convinced me to do that!" Katara exclaimed.

"I am glad you enjoyed it" Aang said with a huge grin on his face.

His facial expression changed suddenly, into a look of desire. Katara realized she probably looked the exact same way as she inched closer to him. Suddenly everything else seemed to disappear, the waterfall, the beautiful scenery, her worries. Suddenly they were inches apart, and she didn't care if she had just met this boy she wanted him to kiss her. She closed her eyes and was relieved when she felt his lips meet hers.

It wasn't a long kiss or a kiss of passion, but that kiss made her heart beat faster than any other kiss she had received. And as Aang broke from her and put his forehead against hers, she knew he felt the same way. Katara then realized however that it was getting late and if she didn't get home soon, Sokka would make sure there would be no more kisses in her future.


	3. The Avatar Returns

**Hey all thank you for all the views on my story! I am so glad that people are taking the time to read it! Please review so I can know what ya'll are thinking!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender**

The Avatar Returns

Katara-

The last thing Katara wanted to do was leave but it was getting late and she knew Sokka would be sending out a search party if she didn't get home at a decent hour from her "just a thank you dinner".

"Aang I don't want to, but I have to get back before Sokka sends out a search party for me." Katara explained with sadness in her voice.

Aang took her chin into his fingers so she was looking at him, "Don't be sad we have all day tomorrow right?"

Katara's eyes lit up and she nodded. She couldn't wait for tomorrow when she would get to spend more time with this mysterious boy. They swam back to shore, and as they walked Aang's fingertips were brushing up against Katara's hand. She knew he was testing the waters to see if she wanted to hold his hand, and she happily took it. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him smile, and the sight gave her goose bumps. No one else had ever had an affect on her this quickly. She had been in two other relationships, but they had not lasted long and they had not made her feel like this.

When they got to his car he opened the door for her, and as soon as he got back in he took hold of her hand again. She was amazed at how lonely her hand had felt for those few moments they had been separated. They did not talk much, but they looked at the stars and listened to the music on the radio. She was soaking in the feeling of just being with him, and she didn't care if she had just met him. There was an undeniable chemistry there and she knew they both felt it. They pulled up to her house and she saw Aang was deep in thought about something.

"Aang what is it?" questioned Katara.

"I have a dilemma. I want to give you a goodnight kiss, but I know if I walk you to the door Sokka is going to be there looking out the window and will most likely try to beat me up. Although at this point as long as I get to kiss you again, nothing else would really matter. But now that I said this out loud I realize that I probably should have kept this in my head" He explained and his face turned bright red.

_He is so honest. And I want to kiss him again too, but I think he has great insight about Sokka… I don't care about what Sokka thinks though, I can handle him._

"I love how honest you are Aang. But I say go for it, and if Sokka does give you a hard time we can take him together." Katara said with a huge grin on her face.

Aang let go of her hand and raced to the other side to open her door for her. He immediately took her hand in his again, and Katara scooted as close as she could to his side as they walked to her door. When they got to the porch Katara realized that she was glad that she knew Aang was going to kiss her. She was not the type who particularly liked surprises, and she inched closer to Aang. He closed the distance and their lips met. It was probably shorter than their first kiss and as he pulled away she desperately wanted more, but she realized that someone had turned on the porch light and that is why Aang had pulled away.

The next thing she knew Sokka threw open the door with his boomerang in hand waiting to strike. Katara gave Aang a quick peck on the cheek and pushed Sokka through the door and locked it.

"Sokka what in the world do you think you're doing?" Katara yelled.

"Katara he kissed you! You told me this was just a thank you dinner, and I have been waiting here for hours for you to get home and I find you on the porch kissing this stranger!" Sokka screamed breathing rapidly.

"Sokka it was just a kiss goodnight. It's not like we are getting married or anything! And I am seeing him again tomorrow, so are you going to do this every time?" asked Katara.

"Katara do you really like this guy?" asked Sokka finally starting to calm down.

"I just met him, but I think he has a lot of potential." Katara said smiling.

Sokka stroked his chin, "Alright I will allow this, but if he hurts you Katara he is going to have to answer to me and my boomerang!"

"Thank you Sokka I am so glad I have your permission!" Katara said sarcastically. But on the inside she was glad he was going to give Aang a chance.

Aang-

Aang left once he started hearing Katara and Sokka argue because he didn't want to get attacked. But the night went better than he could have ever imagined. He had kissed her which he had not been anticipating at all, but in the heat of the moment it felt like the right choice. And Katara had kissed him back, so he knew that there was a spark between them.

When he got back to his house he couldn't sleep because he was thinking of her and was wondering if she was thinking of him. He pulled her number out of his pocket and decided he would text her to see if everything had turned out ok with her brother.

Aang: Hey Katara its Aang. How did everything go with your brother?

Katara: Hey Aang I was just thinking about you! Everything went well. He said he is going to trust me, but if anything bad happens he is going to beat you up… But I told him I think I can handle myself.

Aang: I have no doubt! And I would never do anything to hurt you Katara. Did you have an okay time tonight?

Katara: An ok time? Aang tonight was amazing! I can't imagine a more perfect first date… It was a date right?

Aang: I would classify it as such. Lol I hoped that it would turn out to be one, but I didn't want to rush anything.

Katara: So if that was our first date then when are we going to have our second?

_A second date? She really does like me. Oh man I have to think of something fast. I want to see her again; my hand feels cold without her… Man I have got it bad!_

Aang: Tomorrow will be our second date, if that's ok with you. I already miss you.

Katara: Tomorrow it is then. Goodnight Aang I can't wait to see you. ;)

Aang: Goodnight Katara.

Katara-

As Katara read the last text message from Aang she realized she needed to start breathing again. She didn't remember when she had stopped, but now her lungs demanded her full attention.

_It had been a date, and I get to see him again tomorrow! I can't stop smiling! No one has ever made me feel this way before, but I am getting way ahead of myself. I have known this guy for a day for goodness sakes, but it feels like so much longer… I need to find out what he is holding back from me though. It has to be big, and I hope it isn't something that will change what we have. I may have only known him for a day, but I need him now…_

**The Next Day**

Katara woke up early, and all the events from yesterday came rushing back. For a moment she thought it was all just her imagination making things up until she looked down at her phone and saw she had a new text.

Aang: Good morning beautiful.

Katara realized then that she had not been dreaming and she sprang out of bed. She had to get ready so she could see Aang again. She raced through her morning routine, but not too fast because she wanted to look good for Aang. She grabbed her cell phone as she was looking for an outfit to wear.

Katara: Good morning handsome. I am almost done getting ready, so I am available whenever you are.

Aang: Great! I am at the skate park so I will leave and meet you at your house.

Katara: No wait. The skate park is right by my house, so I will walk over there. I want to see you in your "element". Lol The skate park is open this early?

Aang: Um not normally… But I know a guy… But definitely come on over!

Katara was excited that she would get to see Aang skateboard. He had talked about it the other day, and she could tell that he felt for skateboarding what she felt for surfboarding.

When Katara got to the skate park she could see Aang on the half pipe sailing through the air. She had seen Sokka skate a few times before, but that didn't even come close to what she was seeing now. He made it look so effortless, like the air was bending to his command and had no control over him. His choice of outfit was interesting. There were blue arrows running along his shirt and pants, as well as on his helmet. Then she saw that Aang had spotted her, and he abruptly stopped.

He ran over to her and pulled her into a big hug. He pulled back and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"Katara I am so glad you are here! I was getting kind of lonely" he chuckled.

"Aang you look amazing out there! It's like you are defying gravity!" Katara told him in awe.

"I am not THAT good, but maybe someday." He snickered. "But Katara, I wanted to talk to you… I want to tell you everything about who I am. I feel like we are going somewhere and I don't want to keep any secrets from you. And if you hear what I have to say and you don't want to be with me anymore then I completely understand…" Aang finished with a pained look on his face.

Katara took Aang's face into her hands, "Aang whatever it is you have to tell me I am sure we can work it out. You can trust me."

Aang put his hands over her hands that were still on his face and took a deep breath. "I'm…"

"The Avatar? Oh man I can't believe I found you. You are so dead."

**Cliffhanger! Dun dun dun! Who could the mystery person be?**


	4. The Southern Skate Park

**Sorry it took me so long to update ya'll! My professors decided to give me 3 tests over a 2 day period, so I have been studying like crazy. I hope everyone is enjoying this story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender**

**The Southern Skate Park**

Katara-

"The Avatar? Oh man I can't believe I found you. You are so dead!"

"Zuko I do not have time to deal with you right now!" growled Aang.

"Too bad buddy! You can't just disappear from the biggest gig anyone has ever seen and expect me not to say anything! You screwed up big time dude!" Zuko taunted.

"Zuko what are you talking about?" questioned Katara as she dropped her hands from Aang's face and turned around.

"Katara? What are you doing with this loser? You should come with me and see what a real man is like." Zuko said in an arrogant and seductive tone.

"I will never go anywhere with you Zuko! Why don't you just go back to your little sandbox with your ball and leave us alone!" Katara shouted at Zuko.

"Sand volleyball is way more intense than the Avatar's dumb rolling around on a board! And what are you talking about us? You are the only one I see here." Zuko walked over and grabbed Katara's hand, "Come on baby why don't you come watch me."

"I will never be your baby, and I have to go find Aang!" Katara yelled as she ripped her hand from Zuko's grasp.

Katara ran into the surrounding woods thinking that had to be where Aang had run off to. Her head was spinning with all the questions she had about what Zuko had said.

_I have to find Aang to figure out what is going on. Whatever Aang did I am sure we can work it out together… I have to hear his side of things, because I can never believe a word that Zuko says!_

Katara searched for a few minutes until she heard rustling in the trees above her head. When she looked up she saw Aang lying on a tree branch that was extremely high up and she wondered to herself how in the world he could possibly get up there.

"Aang why are you hiding in a tree?" asked Katara.

"I had to get away from that jerk Zuko, and I can think better when I am not on the ground" Answered Aang.

"Well I want to talk about what Zuko said, and I don't think I can climb up there, so will you please come down?" reasoned Katara.

Aang hopped from branch to branch and landed effortlessly next to Katara which momentarily took her breath away. He then took Katara's hand and they went to sit on a fallen log, and he began to tell her about his past.

Aang-

"My name is Aang, but my nickname is Avatar. Like I told you earlier, I was adopted by Gyatso after he saw me skating one day. He told me he saw a lot of potential, and that I was going to be a great sports star. He helped me with my skateboarding, and I trained with him everyday mastering it. He entered me into competitions, and I was easily beating the other competitors who had a lot more training than I did. Gyatso had a vision for me that I would not only be the top skateboarder, but that I would also be at the top of all the other sports. He started training me in surfboarding, and I was a natural." Katara watched Aang the entire time, and did not say a word. She just grasped his hand and urged him to continue.

"But then things took a turn, and that is why I am here. Gyatso liked to brag about me to other agents, and one in particular took notice of me… Zuko's dad Ozai, the fire sports commissioner. He kept telling Gyatso that I needed a real sponsor and trainer and that he was willing to take me off his hands. But Gyatso was stubborn and stood up to Ozai, and no one stands up to Ozai."

"Gyatso then set up a huge event where I would be displaying my skateboarding skills, and he was going to announce that I would start entering into sports that didn't fall under the air category, which is a big deal because people normally only stay in their division. Ozai heard about this and was angry because he was the top sponsor of fire sports, and he saw me as a threat to his winning streak. So the night before the event Gyatso came to say good night and he collapsed. I rushed him to the hospital, and the doctors did everything they could to save him… but it was too late." Aang stopped for a moment as tears formed in the corner of his eyes, and Katara used the pad of her thumb to wipe them away as she scooted closer to comfort Aang.

"They didn't know the cause of his death, but I should find out what the autopsy report says soon. Needless to say there was no way I could do the gig the next day, so I just didn't show up and I just started flying south. I found this place, and it seemed like the perfect place to lie low for a while until things could blow over. Little did I know that I would run into the water commissioner's beautiful daughter while I was here." Aang finished and Katara blushed at his last statement.

"Aang you had every right to not go to that event. Sure it probably would have been a good idea to tell someone what was going on, but it is understandable that with your state of mind nothing else seemed that important" reasoned Katara.

"So you understand Katara? I was so worried that when I told you, you would think I overreacted. I would have told you sooner, but I just met you yesterday and it is a lot to take in" he said as he chuckled nervously.

"Of course I understand! And I think a lot of other people would understand too. What do you think you are going to do Aang?" asked Katara.

"I am going to master the four elements in Gyatso's memory. He saw so much potential in me, and I have to make him proud. First I have to get back to my surf training, and as I master each thing I will move onto the next one. Katara do you know of any good surf trainers?" questioned Aang.

"There are not many people here who surf, but to the north I am sure the Northern water commissioner has a trainer" Katara said.

"That sounds perfect! Katara will you come with me to the north? We can train together" said Aang excitedly.

"I don't know Aang… I mean I am decent at surfing, but I don't know if anyone would waste their time with me…" Katara said with noticeable doubt in her voice.

"Katara when I fell the other day you got to me extremely fast. You have natural skill, and if you train with a real master there is no telling how good you could become!" said Aang with a huge smile.

"But Aang what if I trained and became better than you?" she said in a teasing tone. Aang could sense that he was starting to get through to her.

"Well then I guess I would have someone else to root for at competitions then" he said with his crooked smile.

"So it settled then. We will go north and find a trainer to help us both become master surfboarders." Katara stated.

"That sounds like an excellent plan. I will let you sleep on it tonight though, and if you feel the same way in the morning we will go. Wait… What will Sokka think about all of this" Asked Aang in a worried tone.

"I will deal with my brother later, but right now we are burning daylight and I think we need lighten the mood after everything today" finished Katara.

"I know just the place" Aang said with a huge grin.

"Is this the same "just the place" we went to last time?" inquired Katara.

"No it is even better" Aang replied with a mischievous look on his face.

Katara-

_Aang has been through a lot in such a short time period. And I have finally found someone that understands what is like to lose someone that means everything to them. I don't know where we are going, but it doesn't even matter. I just want to know everything there is to know about this boy._

They made their way through the trees walking to a place only Aang knew. After a few minutes of walking their bodies inched closer and their hands intertwined, and both of them blushed. Soon they were walking with their arms around each others waists, and Katara's head was resting on Aang's shoulder. It felt so natural to walk this way, like they had been like this for years. Suddenly Aang stopped walking and came around in front of Katara.

"Okay we are almost there. Now close your eyes because I want this to be a surprise." Aang said as his eyes lit up with anticipation.

"Aang you really like surprises don't you?" Katara snickered.

"I know it kind of seems like déjà vu from yesterday, but you liked the last surprise didn't you?" He asked as he arched his eyebrow.

Katara sighed and nodded. He came and stood behind her again and put his hand over her eyes. The heat coming from their bodies felt like someone was trying to set them on fire, but in a strangely good way. Aang stopped and said "Katara I would like to formally introduce you to my buddy Appa".

Katara opened her eyes and saw a floatplane bobbing up and down in the water. Her eyes got big as she took in the sight before her. Then a realization sunk in as she spun around to look at Aang smiling his crooked smile.

"Aang you have a plane?" asked Katara since she didn't know what to say.

"Yes I do, and we are going to go for a ride." Aang said as he took Katara's hand and led her to the plane.

"Aang is that such a good idea? I mean do you even have a license to fly this thing? What if we get caught?" Katara sputtered, her words coming out a mile a minute.

"Katara, Gyatso gave me this plane, and of course I have my license. Why are you so nervous?" Aang questioned.

"Aang I have a confession to make… I have never been on an airplane before." Katara said as she looked down and kicked a rock that was nearby.

Aang smiled, "Well this is the perfect time for you to take your first flight! And this plane is how we are getting around for who knows how long, so you are going to have to get used to it".

"Aang we are going to be traveling in a plane? I don't know if I can do this. Jumping off a waterfall is one thing, but being miles off the ground in that thing? Oh man I need to sit down for a minute." Katara uttered as her knees gave out and she was falling towards the ground.

Aang caught her before she hit the ground however. He gently lowered her to a sitting position on the ground with one hand tangled in her hair supporting her head and the other around her waist. There faces were just inches from each other when Aang looked up and looked her in the eye. Aang was the first to crumble under the tension and brought his lips to hers. He broke from this kiss making Katara wonder if he was ever going to stop teasing her with these short kisses, even though she didn't know if her heart could take anything more passionate.

"Katara I won't ever let anything hurt you. And I trust Appa with my life, so you have nothing to worry about. Do you trust me?" He asked and just like at the waterfall Katara gave in without a fight and took his hand.

Aang opened the passenger door for Katara and she immediately got in, put on her seatbelt, and clung to the armrests for dear life. Aang got in on the other side and laughed at the sight of a very scared Katara and took one of her hands and squeezed it to let her know he was there. He started the engine, and they were quickly soaring higher and higher into the air.

Katara had her eyes closed as tight as possible, but when she felt they had leveled off she slowly opened one eye. Immediately she opened the other eye and took in the beautiful scenery that was before her. The sun was setting and the colors seemed to be more intense than they had ever looked from the ground. She looked at the trees and buildings below and she felt like she could reach out and pick them up, as if she was looking at a doll house rather than the town she grew up in. She looked over at Aang with excitement, and he glanced over with a huge grin on his face.

"Aang it is so beautiful!" exclaimed Katara.

"You are beautiful." Aang responded and received a nice eye roll from Katara. Even though the line was cheesy and very much over used, Katara still blushed.

They flew for a little while longer until the sun was almost completely gone, and then decided they needed to land so they could get ready to start their journey the next day.

"Aang I really like flying" Katara told him as they walked back to her house.

"I knew you would" he replied with a smile and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "What do you think Sokka will say when you tell him about our plan?" Aang asked with a hint of worry.

Katara snapped back to reality for a moment. "I don't know. I completely forgot all about him actually. But there isn't much he can do about it, because I have made up my mind and I am going with you."

"I am so glad that you are going with me Katara. I don't know if I could do this without you" Aang said with a sideways grin.

As they walked up to Katara's house, Sokka was already outside sharpening his boomerang and staring down Aang.

_Maybe telling Sokka about this plan is going to be a little harder than I thought…_

Zuko-

*Phone rings*

Ozai- Zuko what in the world do you want? You should be practicing.

Zuko- Father I have found the Avatar. He is here in the South.

Ozai- The Avatar? That is very interesting… Zuko I need you to bring the Avatar to me as soon as possible.

Zuko- But father what about my trainin…

Ozai- That is not on the top of your priority list right now boy! I want the Avatar and I want him now!

*Phone clicks*

_I love you too father…_

**What will Sokka think about Aang and Katara's plan? And the chase is on for Zuko to bring the Avatar to his father. I will try to get the next chapter out sooner than this one was out. Thanks to everyone who has favorited and put alerts on this story! **


	5. Kyoshi

**Sorry ya'll I know I have updated in forever, but life happens! However, this is my longest chapter to date and I think it turned out pretty well. Thanks for all the reviews and to the people who are sticking with my story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender :(**

Kyoshi

Katara-

"Cutting it a little close to curfew aren't you Katara?" said Sokka as he over exaggerated the way he was sharpening his boomerang.

"Sokka I don't have a curfew, and stop dramatically sharpening that thing. You are going to end up hurting yourself" Katara completely ignored her and turned to look at Aang. "It was great seeing you again Aang. Have a nice walk home."

"Sokka, Aang and I have something we need to talk to you about. We are going north and we are going to find a surf teacher for me and Aang and we are leaving tomorrow" Katara said with more confidence than she actually felt.

"Great! What time are we leaving?" Sokka asked as he stood.

"Sokka when I said we, I meant Aang and I" Katara looked at him with a confused expression.

"Ha! Like I am going to let my baby sister go off alone with some guy she just met, into a random direction ya'll pulled out of nowhere, for who knows how long. I am going with you or I will make sure dad knows all about this" Sokka said grinning to a defeated Katara.

Katara looked up at Aang as he sighed, but he nodded his head agreeing to let Sokka come with us on a journey.

"Shazam! Alright now we are talking! I have always wanted to travel the world in search of adventure!" Sokka exclaimed as his fist pumped into the air.

Sokka ran inside to start packing for the journey that was before them.

"Well that went a completely different way than I expected it to" Katara said rubbing the back of her head.

"I know I still have my head attached to my shoulders" said Aang grinning as he looked into Katara's eyes.

"I just know he is going to be a pain in the butt during this trip, but I guess there are worse things…" Katara said as their faces inched closer together.

As their lips almost met Sokka shouted, "Katara get in here now! We have some serious packing to do! And you have to help me figure out how we can pack all this meat!"

Katara rested her forehead on Aang's, "My brother is DEFINITELY going to be a pain in the butt during this trip.

Aang gave her a quick peck on the lips leaving them both wanting more. "We will find a way to have some alone time. Maybe we can find Sokka someone so he will leave us alone."

"If Sokka ever finds a girl I will be thoroughly impressed" Katara said and they both burst out laughing.

"I have to go get all my stuff packed, and if I keep you any longer I am pretty sure Sokka is really going to use his boomerang on me!" Aang said as he reluctantly started to leave Katara.

"Okay Aang… Meet you at your plane tomorrow morning?" Katara asked with anticipation.

"Bright and Early. I will be thinking about you until then" Aang said as he made his way to the sidewalk.

_I will too… You have no idea._

Aang-

As Aang walked into the abandoned church he was staying in he sat and thought about everything that had happened that day.

_I don't know how I got so lucky. I have a beautiful girl that wants to travel the world with me, and she even understands about the whole Gyatso situation. Gyatso, wherever you are, I am going to do everything in my power to make you proud of me. I don't know why you had to leave me so soon, but I still remember everything you have taught me. No matter what happens I know you are still there for me._

Aang started to close his eyes as he daydreamed about Katara when his cell phone vibrated. He looked down and smiled when he saw that it was from Katara.

Katara: Aang are you awake?

Aang: Yea I was just kind of daydreaming about you.

Aang: Oh there I go again saying what I am thinking without thinking about what I am sending. Lol

Katara: Well it is always nice to know when someone is daydreaming about me. I just text you because I couldn't sleep. I am so excited for tomorrow!

Aang: I am too. I hope Sokka doesn't mind you sitting next to me on the plane, but I need my expert copilot beside me.

Katara: Ha you must have me confused with some other girl. And Sokka can get over it. He is lucky he even gets to come with us.

Aang: I have never showed another girl Appa before, so you are definitely my expert copilot.

Katara: Really? It seems like the ultimate place to take a girl on a date.

Aang: Well I have a confession to make. I have never really gone out with a girl I have really liked before. Gyatso would set me up on dates for publicity, but none of those girls really interested me…

Katara: Wow… I find that very hard to believe, because from the first time I saw you, you took my breath away.

Katara: I guess your honesty is starting to rub off on me too

Aang: You are definitely not like most girls Katara, and that is why I think there is a huge potential for what we have to really go somewhere.

Katara: And you Aang are definitely not like most guys, and I can't wait to find out where this is going. Well I think I am finally ready to get some sleep. See you tomorrow Aang. ;)

Aang: Goodnight Katara.

Katara-

The next morning Katara awoke early, and after a few moments she realized today was the day she was going to start her journey with Aang (and Sokka of course). She sprung out of bed and quickly got ready. After she made herself presentable for the day, she went to start the long process of waking Sokka up. After poking him, shouting at him, taking all the covers from him, and pushing him off the bed Katara had to resort to throwing cold water on him.

"COLD! Katara what in the world do you think you are doing? It is way too early to be getting up!" Sokka shouted.

"Hey it is fine with me if you go back to sleep. I will just go and meet up with Aang, and you can go back to sleeping your life away" Katara said nonchalantly as she walked out of the room.

"Alright I am up! Just let me get ready and pack up the last of my things" Sokka announced.

After Sokka got ready, which had taken twice as long as it had taken Katara, they made their way to where Aang's plane was. When they arrived Aang was already there mediating off to the side. Katara walked up to him and gave him a quick kiss to break him out of his trance.

"I thought you guys would never get here. I was starting to think you had changed your mind" Aang said as he snapped back to reality.

"Sorry Sokka had to make himself look beautiful before we could leave" Katara said as she snickered.

"Hey, I have to look good for all the chicks we are going to meet. No one is going to be able to resist when "The Sokka" rolls into town" Sokka declared as he showed off his muscles.

"Right… Well Aang we are ready to go whenever you are" Katara said quickly changing the subject.

"Awesome, let me just load the rest of this stuff and then we can get airborne" Aang replied.

When everything was packed they all got onto Appa and started on their quest to find a surf instructor. They flew for a few hours, but Sokka and Katara quickly got tired of flying. Aang realized they needed to refuel anyway, so he saw an island coming up and started their decent. The three got off the plane and made their way to the village to get some supplies. When they got there, they were in for a surprise.

"Oh my gosh! It is the Avatar! Everyone come quick you have got to see this!" a girl shouted and a bunch of other girls ran to greet him.

Everyone started talking a mile a minute trying to get Aang's full attention. One girl stepped right up to Aang, "Hey there Avatar. Are you looking for a good time tonight?"

Aang inched closer to Katara and reached for her hand, reassuring her that he was not interested in these girls. "Um no we just stopped to get some supplies, and then we will be on our way.

"Girls what is all this ruckus about? Oh the Avatar! I am glad to see you are alright. All of us in this town are huge fans, and we were worried when you canceled your big gig" Said the old woman.

"I had a personal issue come up that had to be addressed immediately" Aang told the woman biting his lip, and Katara squeezed his hand for support.

"Well I am glad to see you are back. It would be my honor if you stayed at my inn tonight before you continue on your way" the woman beamed.

Aang looked at Katara and Sokka who nodded their heads, "We would love to stay at your inn tonight. It will be nice to have a good nights rest."

"Excellent! I will get you three all set up" the woman responded as she started walking to the inn.

When they got there the woman frowned as she looked at the room list. "I only have one room available. Maybe I can get someone to leave…" She said as she looked over the list.

"We can share one room. I can sleep on the sofa" Aang replied solving the dilemma.

"Perfect! Here is your room key, and when you put your stuff away I will give you a tour of the town" the old woman said as she clasped her hands together.

Aang-

The room was small, but it would be perfect for a one night stay. They quickly put there stuff down and met back up with the old woman. The town was not very big, but one building stood out among the rest. The martial arts gym was huge, and a banner hung on the outside of the building that said "Home of the Kyoshi warriors". This peaked Sokka's interest.

"Guys I have to check this place out! Maybe I can learn some new moves from these guys!" Sokka said as he sprinted off into the building.

"Wait young man that gym is only for…" the old woman tried to yell after him, but Sokka was already to far away.

"What is wrong with Sokka going to the gym?" inquired Katara.

"Kyoshi is known for our expert martial arts. However, on this island all the martial artists are women" explained the old woman.

"Sokka is going to be in for a rude awakening" Katara said as she snickered to herself.

Sokka-

Sokka rushed through the doors and exclaimed, "Sorry to barge in like this, but I saw this place and I knew I had to see ya'lls moves."

"It is no problem. We love teaching newcomers a thing or two" a girl said as she walked up to Sokka. Sokka then realized that all the people in the room were girls.

"Oh I am sorry; I didn't mean to interrupt ya'lls dance class. Where can I find where the Warriors of Kyoshi are?" Sokka said with a cocked eyebrow.

"You found them" The girl said to him with an amused smirk. "My name is Suki, and I am the leader of the Kyoshi warriors" she told him as she went up to shake his hand.

Sokka was taken aback by her beauty, so he didn't have time to think about using his mind before he spoke, "My name is Sokka. A bunch of girls are called the Kyoshi warriors?"

Suki's smile quickly turned into a frown, "We may be a bunch of girls, but I bet you couldn't beat me in a fight."

Sokka never one to back down from a challenge smiled back at Suki, "I accept your challenge."

They both backed up and stood across from each other. Sokka wasn't sure what he had gotten into. Suki was a girl after all, and he had always been taught not to beat up girls. He would take it easy on her. Before he knew it a gong rang out that he had not even noticed was in the room, and Suki made it to him in record time. With a swift kick Sokka face planted on the ground, and laid there for a few seconds.

"Wow Sokka for some reason I thought this was going to be somewhat of a challenge, but I guess I can be wrong sometimes" Suki said as she laughed.

"I was going easy on you! Let's go again!" Sokka shouted as he picked himself off the floor.

The two of them continued for hours, with Suki winning every time. Sokka was slowly but surely getting better as the fights went on.

Katara-

Aang and Katara had finished the tour soon after Sokka had left. More and more girls came up to Aang asking him if they could feel his muscles or using cheesy pick up lines. A few girls were even bold enough to ask him out, but through everything Aang just held Katara's hand and walked through the sea of his fans. After they got the supplies they needed, they decided it was time for dinner. They found a nice quiet place and sat on the balcony enjoying the peace.

"Today was crazy! I thought those girls would never leave you alone" Katara told Aang after they ordered their food.

"I know and I am so sorry Katara. All of that was awkward for me, and I can't imagine how awkward it was for you" Aang said with sympathy in his eyes.

"Well I mean it's not like we are official or anything, so I guess I can't really be extremely mad about it or anything…" Katara sighed as she looked down at her water glass and ran her finger over the rim.

Aang stared at her puzzled, "Not official? You gave up everything you had to travel with me, and you don't think we are official?"

"Well you never officially asked me to be your girlfriend" said Katara.

Aang suddenly got up from his side of the table, walked over to where Katara was sitting, and then preceded to get down on one knee. "Katara, will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?" Aang said with a hint of sarcasm.

Katara didn't even care if he was being sarcastic, the sight of him like that made her speechless. When she composed herself she replied, "Yes of course!"

Aang stood and gave her a quick kiss on the lips that made Katara want more. However, there food was arriving, so Aang went to sit back in his seat. With the hand he was not using to eat, he took Katara's hand. After they finished dinner, they were exhausted so they headed back to the inn they were staying in. As they were beginning to get ready for bed, there was a knock on their door.

"Aangy I have this note from that girl you are with's brother" the girl said as she batted her eyes.

Aang thanked her quickly and shut the door just as fast. He brought the note to Katara as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

_Katara,_

_ I have to beat this girl here at the gym. I have been trying all day, but she is way to fast for me. I won't make it back to the inn tonight because I need to train, so don't wait up for me._

_P.S. Aang no funny stuff while I am gone!_

They both read the note and started laughing uncontrollably. Katara had known that something like this would happen though. Katara and Aang separated as they got ready for bed. When Katara came out of the bathroom, she couldn't help but notice Aang staring at her in her nightgown. He quickly came back to reality and they both blushed. Aang just took off his shirt and changed into more comfortable pants. Katara had to remember to breathe as she stared at his chiseled chest.

As Aang started making up the couch Katara spoke without really thinking. "You know Sokka isn't coming back tonight… There is plenty of room on the bed. It is a king after all" Katara reasoned, but immediately chastised herself for being so forward.

"Alright if you don't mind" he said as he smiled nervously. "I will take this side."

As they lay on opposite sides of the bed they couldn't fall asleep. Without realizing it they started inching closer and closer together. Both of them were practically holding their breath, trying not to seem obvious, and it seemed to be working. Suddenly their hands brushed as they both reached the middle of the bed. They both screamed in shock, but when they looked at each other they both started laughing.

"I guess we both had the same idea" Aang said with a sparkle in his gray eyes.

Aang brought his hand up to her face, and they just stayed that way for a while, looking into each others eyes until Katara couldn't take it anymore. She brought her lips to Aang's and he quickly responded. Finally after everything today he was finally hers, and no one was there to get in the way. Her hands roamed his chest memorizing the ways his abs felt, and his hands were tangled in her hair. She thought about deepening the kiss, but she didn't want to push it and she was finding it hard to breathe let alone think. Eventually they both realized that they needed to breathe, and their foreheads rested against one another.

"Do you forgive me for all those crazy girls today?" Aang asked as he tried to breathe.

"Hmm let me think about it" Katara said with a sly smile and then pulled Aang in for a short and sweet kiss. "I think I can manage to find a way to get over it" she said.

Suddenly they were both overcome with tiredness. Katara rolled over and was happy when Aang slipped behind her and wrapped his arms around her, and rested his head behind her shoulder. She could feel a smile cross his lips, and then realized she was smiling too. Sokka would have to be stubborn more often.

Aang-

He awoke with a beautiful girl in his arms, and wondered how he had gotten so lucky. He realized that they needed to get going soon, so he leaned over and left a trail of kisses down Katara's neck.

"Good morning" she breathed as she began to come out of a deep sleep.

"Good morning. As much as I would love to stay like this, we probably need to get going" Aang sighed as he snuggled closer to Katara.

"You are not doing a very good job of convincing me to get up" she laughed as she tried to get out of bed.

"Five more minutes" he whispered into her ear and then kissed her.

Five minutes later they got up reluctantly. They got all of there stuff and said their goodbyes to the old woman. They walked slowly to where Sokka was supposed to be so they could relish their alone time together. They knew Sokka would not appreciate them being so close around him. When they were about to get there, they heard a familiar voice behind them.

"Hey there Avatar" Zuko snarled as he walked up to the couple. "Looks like you brainwashed this beautiful girl into thinking you are some sort of stud."

"Zuko I thought we left you" Katara said as she gripped onto Aang a little tighter.

"Babe you know you can't get rid of me that easy" Zuko said eyeing Katara hungrily. "I came with a proposition. Since you don't have a sponsor anymore, my father would like to reopen talks about you joining him."

"The answer is no Zuko. Thank you for the offer, but I will find someone else." Aang said through clenched teeth.

"Oh Aang, you should know that my father does not take no for an answer. For your sake I hope you will reconsider" Zuko replied.

"I am not looking for a sponsor right now, so if you will excuse us, we are leaving" Aang said as Katara and he turned around and walked off.

Sokka-

All night Sokka had been up trying to beat the beautiful Kyoshi Warrior that was standing before him. If they could fight with swords or his trusty boomerang he could take her down no problem, but hand to hand combat was not his strong suit.

"I must say Sokka I am impressed with the progress you have made in one day of being here. I can see some potential in you" Suki said with a grin on her face.

"What can I say; I have a natural ability for fighting. But come on! One more time and I am sure I can beat you!" Sokka shouted as he got into his fighting stance.

"Looks like we will have to take a rain check, because your friends are here" Suki said nodding towards the door where Katara and Aang stood.

"Sokka you look terrible! Have you really been up all night trying to win?" Katara asked and burst into laughter when she saw that she was right.

"Katara it is not funny! I am not used to fighting this way!" Sokka said as he crossed his arms and frowned.

"He is getting a lot better though. Hi we haven't met. My name is Suki, leader of the Kyoshi warriors" Suki told the newcomers.

"My name is Katara, that guy's sister. And this is Aang" Katara introduced them.

"Wait a minute. Aang as in the Avatar?" Suki said as her jaw dropped.

"Ha ha I guess you missed the memo. I thought I had met the whole island by now" Aang said with a huge grin on his face.

"It is an honor to meet you. This whole island watches all of your gigs. I guess you guys probably need to get going now huh" Suki said with a hint of disappointment.

"Yeah, we are going to the north to find Katara and me a surf teacher" Aang explained.

"Well I wish you all luck. If you ever need anything you know where to find me" Suki said as she turned to leave.

"Guys, you go back to Appa and I will meet you there in a few minutes" Sokka said as he followed Suki.

"Um, alright" Katara said with a slightly confused but also knowing tone.

As Aang and Katara left Sokka caught up with Suki. "Hey were you just going to go off without saying goodbye to me?" Sokka said with a hurt tone.

"Sorry Sokka… I guess I just didn't think that you would be leaving so soon" Suki said with disappointment.

"Suki, why don't you come with us? There is plenty of room in Aang's plane" Sokka said with hope.

"Sokka, I just met you, and I have to think about the other girls here that need me to lead them. I have to admit though, I have grown a little more attached to you than I thought I would" Suki admitted to Sokka.

"Well I do have that affect on people" Sokka said which earned him a punch in the arm from Suki.

"Well I want to give you something to help you remember me on your journey" Suki replied which left Sokka with a confused look on his face. Just as he was about to speak, Suki leaned in and kissed him. Sokka quickly recovered from his shock and kissed her back. As she pulled away she said "When I see you again you better be prepared to fight, and we will see if you can finally beat me."

But all Sokka heard her say was "When I see you again".

Zuko-

Zuko stormed off back to his boat that he had traveled to Kyoshi on. When he got to it however he saw two men standing near it having a heated discussion.

"Jasmine tea is by far the best!" argued the first man.

"Green tea is the best!" shouted the second man.

"Uncle Iroh? Zhao? What are you two doing here on Kyoshi?" asked a confused Zuko.

"Ah Zuko I see you standing here with no Avatar. I knew you couldn't handle a task as simple as getting the Avatar to meet with your father" Zhao sneered as Zuko clenched his fists and teeth. "That is why I am here. This job calls for an experienced recruiter like me" Zhao stated.

"Zhao don't waste your time. I will get the Avatar to my father" Zuko said as he walked towards his boat.

"We shall see Zuko, we shall see" Zhao snickered as he turned around and walked away.

"Uncle, what are you doing here?" Zuko yelled with frustration.

"Zuko, I think I can help you on your mission" Iroh calmly explained, ignoring Zuko's yelling.

"I don't need your help uncle. Everything is under control" but doubt was written all over his face.

"Zuko, you don't need to embark on this journey alone. Let me help you" Iroh said with a pleading look in his eyes.

"Fine, but if you slow me down you are out" Zuko yelled, but on the inside he was happy to have someone else with him on his quest.

Katara-

"Sokka you look happier than usual. What is with all the smiling?" Katara asked even though she had a pretty good idea what was going on.

"Oh Katara I don't KISS and tell" Sokka replied with a noticeable blush rising to his cheeks.

"That's a good thing Sokka, because I do not want to know about your love life" Katara said as she turned to get into the plane with Aang helping her up.

"I however want to know about yours Katara. There was no funny business last night was there?" Sokka asked giving Aang a death glare.

"That's what I like to hear! Now let's get moving. We're burning daylight!" Sokka shouted as he pointed towards the sun. And with that the gang was off moving one step closer in their journey.


	6. Omashu

**Hey Everyone! So I got a review the other day that asked me to come back to my story, and since I just graduated I decided that I would pick this story back up! Now this chapter might be full of typos because It is really late, but I wanted to get this chapter up so ya'll know I am still here! Like I said in my story Demonstrate, I still view this site weekly, but I lost my motivation when I couldn't figure out what to do with the Earth Kingdom. But I am back, so without further ado on with Save me! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own A:TLA because if I did I wouldn't have waited til the last episode for Katara and Aang to be together.**

Aang decided that there next stop would be the city of Omashu. The three companions decided that it would be better if Aang tried to remain low key on their next stop so they could get in and out without much of a fuss.

"Geez I have never seen a city this huge" gasped Katara as they walked up to the entrance of the city.

"Katara this is nothing! We will probably come across a lot bigger cities on our journey, but Omashu is definitely a must-see place. There was a legendary boxer here that I knew when I was younger that helped me get away with whatever I wanted."

**Flashback to a much younger Aang:**

"Aang what is this here?"

"Um it looks like a stick and a board to me Bumi? What about it?"

"Oh Aang I'm not talking about what they physically are. Use your imagination! You have to open your brain to the possibilities!"

"Hmm well then I would say that the stick is really a sword and the board is a shield and I would say that you better look out or you shall evil dragon!"

**End Flashback**

"Now Aang how are we going to go around town and not have anyone notice you?"

Aang replied "Don't worry Sokka I am the master of disguise!"

A few minutes later Aang emerged from the surrounding woods with an outfit that made him look like an 80 year old man carrying a skateboard.

"I don't think you are going to be able to carry this around with you if you are going to go around dressed like that! And you are definitely way too old to be dating my sister!" said Sokka with a satisfied grin on his face.

"I don't know Sokka… I am suddenly attracted to men four times my age" she said as she grabbed Aang's face and gave him a big kiss.

"Ughhh I didn't think I could dislike ya'lls relationship anymore than I already do, but sis you always find a way to prove me wrong!" Sokka threw up his hands as Aang and Katara fell to the ground laughing.

They gang had gathered all the supplies they needed when suddenly Aang spotted an opportunity he could not pass up. In the middle of the city there was a huge piece of artwork that had a series of tracks and marbles sliding down until they reached the bottom. The tracks were intricately woven so you could not see all of the tracks, and Aang came up with a daring idea.

"Guys, we have to ride that thing!"

"Aang, I don't think that thing is meant for people to ride on. It looks like someone built it for a centerpiece for the city. It is quite remarkable though" Katara said as she looked up at it and walked away.

"No I am serious! Please just one ride to the bottom? No one is even over here at this time of day, and it will take no time at all! Please?" begged Aang while jumping up and down.

"Sure, why not Aang? It will be nice to do something other than flying around on Appa all day, and it will help me get my mind of Sukki" said Sokka giving in to the Avatar.

"Okay Aang you win. But how are we even supposed to ride this thing? You are not expecting us to hold onto a marble are you?" asked Katara and then she saw Aang point to a crate that was right next to them.

The climbed the emergency ladder that was on the side of the exhibit to the top with Sokka carrying the crate since he had the most strength. They finally reached the top and Katara was shaking. They all sat down in the crate and Aang wrapped his arms around Katara making her feel a lot safer. Suddenly they were flying down the track, whipping around corners and trying not to scream out because they were not supposed to be there. Finally they were coming to the end, but their crate was not slowing down. In a panic, the three of them tried everything they could think of to try to slow down but to no avail. The cart hit the end of the track where the marbles would roll around back to the beginning and flew through the air, straight into a cabbage stand.

"My cabbages!" was yelled piercing through the air of the once quiet town square.

Before anyone could react past that, three police officers rushed over and cuffed the three companions.

* * *

Aang-

Before they knew it they were being marched into city hall with an angry cabbage merchant on their heels.

_I can't believe I got everyone into this mess! Hopefully I can get the other two out of this and I will be the only one punished. I can't believe I got Katara to come with me to the north, and now with one stupid mistake I have ruined everything. _

Before Aang had anymore time to think they made it to a big office with someone sitting in a chair with the back towards them.

"Sir these three were arrested after vandalizing the town art feature and smashing into a cabbage stand" said the head guard.

"The death penalty is the only way I will be satisfied! No one cares about cabbages anymore except me, and I want to prove a point with these three that they are still the most important vegetable!" shouted the cabbage merchant who seemed to be foaming at the mouth.

"Silence cabbage worshipper! I will do with them what I see fit! Be gone to preach your cabbage ways to someone else." The cabbage merchant left with a huff and did the hand motion of I-will-be-watching-you. "Now where were we… Ah yes the trouble makers that have decided to make a jungle gym out of the city. There is only one thing to do in a situation like this… Eat!" Shouted the mystery man as Sokka gasped in delight and Aang and Katara looked at each other in confusion.

As they sat down to eat the man at the end of a table with his back still turned said "Well don't sit there looking so glum! Look at all this wonderful food!"

Aang stared down at his plate and replied "I don't eat meat."

"Ah it is no matter. It is still a pleasure to MEAT you" said the man as Sokka burst into laughter which left Aang scowling deeper.

"Hilarious…" Aang replied sarcastically. "Now if you could just tell us what you are going to do with us so we can go on with our travel plans we would greatly appreciate it."

"Ah don't be so quick to leave young man, or should I say The Avatar!" shouted the man and there was an audible gasp from the three companions.

"How do you know who I am if you won't even turn around?"

"You will do well not to underestimate young Avatar. Now as for you punishment, you will have to complete three deadly tasks for me and then you will be free to go" replied the man as he audibly chewed on a cabbage.

"And if he refuses?" shouted Katara not wanting to remain silent any longer.

"I hear the legal system takes a long time to sort things out, and I know that the three of you are on a mission" calmly replied the man.

"Fine! We will finish your stupid tasks tomorrow" replied Aang before Katara could reply.

"Fabulous" he said with a smile. "Tomorrow it will be."

As soon as they were shown into a vaulted room somewhere below the building Aang searched around looking for a way to escape.

"Aang it is no use! There is no way out!" Sokka yelled as Aang fell to the floor.

"What do you think that man meant by _deadly challenges_?" asked Katara with concern in her voice.

"I have no idea, but this guy gives me the creeps. Maybe we should just skip the deadly challenges and do some community service or something" said Sokka hopefully.

"There is nothing we can do about it tonight I guess. Hopefully tomorrow I can convince him to let us go" said Aang as he settled on the couch in the room they were sharing.

The lights went out but Aang lay awake looking up at the ceiling. _What have I gotten us into? Sometimes being an adrenaline junkie can really get me into trouble. But I can't let anything happen to Katara._

Aang finally drifted to sleep saddened by the fact that Katara was not there in his arms to tell him that everything was going to be okay.

* * *

Suddenly the lights went on and Aang sat up in his bed looking dazed. He immediately looked for Katara, but she was gone.

"What have you done with my friends?" shouted Aang at the police officers that walked into the room.

"You will have your friends back if you complete the challenges that are set forth for you today."

Aang's heart started beating in his chest. He had to find Katara and make sure she was alright. "Fine take me to finish the challenges."

* * *

"Ah Avatar it is so great that you could finally join us. First what do you think of my new chair?" asked the man. It was pink with zebra stripes and fake jewels outlined the headrest, but Aang could still not see the person sitting there.

"Um, it looks very "funky" I guess." Aang said as he scratched the back of his head.

"Excellent! You have passed the first test" he said as Aang was beginning to feel hopeful. "Oh but not one of the deadly tests I have for you."

Aang immediately became furious. "I do not have time for this! Where is Katara?"

"Ah your young lover is safe for now, but I feel that you need a little more motivation to complete the tasks I have for you. Guards!" At that moment Sokka and Katara were led out in handcuffs and Katara's face looked white completely washing out her tan skin.

"Let her go! It is me that you want. Do whatever you want with me but let her go!"

"Hey what about me…" started Sokka but he was quickly elbowed by Katara.

"Shut it Sokka, Aang is talking" Katara whispered who was a little turned on by how protective Aang was.

"Ah I am afraid I can't do that. I am afraid that only you completing what I want done will ensure the release of your little girlfriend" replied the man.

"And Sokka!" Sokka shouted as he got elbowed again.

"Whatever you want me to do I will do it" conceded Aang as he was led to the first challenge.

"It seems I've lost my lunch box key and I'm hungry." Said the man and Aang looked upon his first challenge. There was water flowing from a hole in the ceiling and it was crashing down on a ladder. At the top of the ladder there was a string with a key. "Oh there it is! Would you mind fetching it for me?"

Aang looked up from where he was standing. There were ledges around the waterfall that he could easily climb up, but with the pressure of the water and the distance, there was no way he would survive the jump. He slowly walked over to the ladder and decided he would try to hold his breath and climb the ladder til he reached the key.

It sounded a lot easier in his mind than when he actually tried to do it. The water was coming down so hard that he felt that he would be crushed. He made it up a few rungs before the pressure was too great and he was forced to let go. He fell to the ground and thankfully he had not been too high or it could have been disastrous.

"Aw climbing the ladder. No one has ever thought of that before" Shouted the man as Aang tried to wring out some of the water out of his clothes.

Aang looked up to Katara and she gave him a hopeful look, and Aang knew that there had to be another way to get the key. It was impossible to climb the ladder, and as he was thinking he saw Katara's eyes rest on something that was beyond him. He turned around and saw a heavy stick with a sharp point at the end. Aang knew that if he could gather enough strength he would be able to throw the stick and cut the key down.

He ran over to the stick and tested its weight. It was heavy but Aang knew that if he focused, he would be able to throw it high enough to where the water would drive it down and cut the rope. With one last look at Katara, he could see that they were thinking the same thing and he turned to make his throw. The stick sailed through the air and as soon as it hit the water it was driven down and it sliced through the rope.

Aang ran to the water to pick of the key. He held it up and shouted, "There enjoy your lunch! Now let Katara go!"

"And Sokka!" Sokka shouted once again getting elbowed in the stomach.

"Not so fast. You finished the first task, but now we must go to the second one" replied the man as his guards rolled his chair to the next place.

* * *

"It seems that I have lost my pet Flopsy."

Aang looked around what seemed to be an arena and spotted a small cat in the middle of it. "Alright I found him! Can we move onto the next…" said Aang but he was cut off.

"Bring him to me! Daddy wants a kiss from Flopsy" Shouted the man.

Aang thought to himself that this man had really lost it if this was the second challenge. Sure the first challenge was difficult, but this one seemed ridiculous. Suddenly he heard a low roar coming from behind him, and as he turned around he saw a very large lion standing there. Aang started to slowly back away and saw that the cat had darted off. Aang knew that the only way to get away from the lion was to catch Flopsy and give it to the man. Then he would be pulled to safety. So Aang slowly moved around the arena so he would not startle the lion in search for the cat. Eventually he came to a small hole where he heard the cat's cries coming from. Aang frantically searched around the hole with his hand as the lion crept closer. Unfortunately in this challenge there was nothing he could use as a weapon to protect himself. When the lion was almost upon him Aang got a crazy idea.

When the lion was almost upon him Aang stood and een though he heard gasps from his friends he said "Flopsy?" Suddenly the lion sat down and cocked his head to his side. That seemed to be all it took for him to stop hunting him. The man whistled and Flopsy bounded up to his master and perched himself on the side of his chair.

"Alright let's finish this!" Aang shouted as the man played with his pet lion.

"As you wish."

* * *

"For the final challenge you shall be in a boxing match. However, you may choose who your opponent is."

Three very big and buff men walked into the arena that Aang was standing in. Aang knew that eventually he would have to master boxing in order to really live up to the name Avatar, but he was in no position to win a match against any of these men. Suddenly an idea occurred to him.

"So you are saying any of the men that are over there that I point to I will have to fight" said Aang as a plan was forming in his head.

"That's right… Choose wisely." The man said with a smile in his voice.

Aang had made up his mind. Fine then I choose to fight you!" he said pointing to the man's chair.

"Wrong choice!" shouted the man as he stood and turned around.

The man had his face covered with a full mask that reminded Aang of a fencing helmet. However Aang did not focus on that for too long because he immediately noticed how buff this man was. He looked like he would have no trouble defeating Aang. He did not have long to think about that however because the man climbed down into the arena and the fight began.

One of the guards tossed Aang some wraps for his hands. There were going to be no boxing gloves in this match. As soon as Aang was ready the man started jabbing at him with lightning speed. Aang kept dodging his blows and waited for an opening to strike back. Aang was not always quick enough to escape the hits. It was obvious that even though he had extensive training in skateboarding and martial arts, neither of those would do him good against this man. At least the martial arts gave him some agility. Aang knew he had to think fast in order to out smart his opponent, but it was hard to think when he was trying not to be beaten to a pulp.

Aang finally realized that he just had to wear down his opponent. It was obvious that even though this man was in incredible shape, he was a lot older than Aang and he was throwing most of the punches. Aang just had to be patient and then he would be able to take him down.

After a while Aang's patience paid off and he could see that he was breaking the man down. Finally he saw an opening and placed a rapid succession of powerful punches to the man's body and he began to stumble back. Finally with one more solid punch to the man's mask, the man fell off the side of the arena that was surrounded by water. When the man surfaced he began to clap and swam over to the edge. As he began to climb back up to where Katara and Sokka were, Aang decided that it was okay for him to follow.

* * *

As Aang reached the top the man said "You have passed all my tests, but now you must answer a question."

"Oh no, I did what you asked me to and I am not going to do any more. Give me back Katara and let us leave!"

"And Sok… Oh never mind."

"Lettuce leaf?" said the man as he pulled out a leaf from his pocket.

**Silence**

"Oh everyone's a critic! No matter. Anyway, what is the point of tests if you don't learn anything? For you and your friends to go you must answer me this… What is my name? You have two minutes to come up with an answer"

Then man walked away and Aang stood in front of his friends with a puzzled look on his face. "How am I supposed to know this crazy guy's name?"

"Well let's think. Maybe the challenges can give us some kind of clue to what his name could be."

"Guys wait I got it! This guy is a boxer, and he seems to be a little of his rocker at times… His name could be Mike Tyson!"

**Silence**

"You know what Sokka if we can't think of anything else that will be a great back up" Katara said as Sokka beamed at his clever deductive reasoning. "Aang think back to the challenges. The man said you would learn something from them, so do you think you learned anything?"

"Well I got a key, found his pet lion and had to box. All of the challenges he gave me were different than what I expected they would be. I had to think differently than I normally would… I know his name!" screamed Aang as he leaned over and gave Katara and kiss and ran in the direction that the man had gone.

As soon as Aang found the chair he began to speak. "I figured out the question like I figured out the challenges. As you told me years ago I had to "Open my brain to the possibilities" Bumi" and as Aang said his name the chair spun around and revealed his old friend Bumi that had helped him so many years ago.

Aang ran up to him and gave him a hug as the guards finally released Katara and Sokka. As soon as the two old friends finished their hug Aang turned to see Katara walking towards him and quickly closed the gap. He wrapped her in his arms and swept her off her feet as he kissed her. Realizing where he was he slowly let Katara down, but did not let go of her hand.

"Aang it has been too long since I have seen you."

"So wait Aang this guy is the same Bumi you were telling us about when we came into the city?" asked Katara.

"One in the same young Katara" replied Bumi.

"So if you are really Aang's friend then why in the world did you do all that to him?" questioned Sokka.

"Well first of all it is fun messing with people. But truly I did have a purpose. Aang since Gyatso's death the sports world is changing. I know that Ozai has been trying to get you to come over to his side, but he is an evil man. You will soon learn why it is you and your friends that need to stop him before it is too late. You have much to learn before you can restore balance to the world, and you will only be able to defeat commissioner Ozai after you have mastered the four elements. It is good that you have mastered your skateboarding before Gyatso passed away, but you still have much to learn about everything else. I hope that when you are faced with the upcoming challenges you will open your brain to the other possibilities that are out there."

Aang then reached out for Bumi's hand and shook it before giving his old friend another hug. The words that Bumi spoke were troubling however. What did he mean that Ozai was evil, and that Aang and his friends had to defeat him? Sure Ozai didn't seem like the nicest guy, but surely he wasn't going to throw off the balance of the world.

"It looks like you have found some good friends to go along with you on your quest too Aang." He then turned to Sokka and Katara. "You two might not know it yet, but you have just as much reason to defeat Ozai as Aang does, and the only way to make sure you two find peace is to help Aang" said Bumi and it left puzzled looks on their faces. "Now the three of you must get some rest and leave tomorrow, because your destiny awaits you and there will be many more challenges ahead.

With that Bumi walked away. "Sokka I have to apologize to you. I know that I didn't seem very concerned about you during the challenges but…" Aang said.

"It's okay Aang I understand. If I had a girlfriend that was being held hostage by a crazy dude with a sparkly chair, I would probably be more concerned about her than you too."

"Thanks Sokka… I think" said Aang as the three of them began to laugh until they couldn't breathe anymore and went off to bed still thinking about what their journey had in store for them.


End file.
